Jaeger London

The minimalism on New York's runways suggested that Phoebe Philo's debut for Celine last season may well prove to be as influential as all of her collections at Chloé were. Jaeger London's show didn't so much suggest this as shout its adoration for Philo from its pared-down catwalk.

And frankly, so what? There's a reason everyone has looked to Philo's work at Celine: because it's really good. And since when did anyone turn to Jaeger London for cutting-edge originality, anyway? The label is supposed to stand for female-friendly, practical, Anglo-centric cool clothes. Take out the word "clothes" and you have a description of Philo herself, so kudos to the brand for at least being smart enough to know who to look at.

And there were some lovely clothes here. There was a sharp skirtsuit with a neatly cut jacket, trimmed at all the seams with leather piping, and a gorgeous midnight blue velvet dress (OK, that one said Lanvin more than Celine). The flat ankle boots were particularly great, looking like the product of a union between an Ugg and a Vivienne Westwood pirate number (honestly, the result was a lot better than the oddly matched parentage would suggest). And there were appealing bags decked with chunky gold chains. Yes, they did look a little Marc Jacobs Stam bag-ish, since you ask, but that gold chain still looks good after all these years. London may famously—or notoriously—value originality over all, but sometimes playing it safe is a really good look.